NASCAR Cup Series

Double duty: Kurt Busch's busy day in May a top 2014 moment

Published Dec. 21, 2014 9:43 a.m. ET

Tom Jensen

Editor's note: For the month of December, FOXSports.com will count down 31 moments that defined the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. This is No. 11.

In a year filled with impressive on-track performances, one of the most compelling performances by a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver didn't even occur in a NASCAR race, but rather in the Indianapolis 500.

Appearing in the first open-wheel race of his career, 2003 Sprint Cup champion Kurt Busch won the Sunoco Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Honors by being both the fastest qualifier (12th) and highest finisher (sixth) among the seven rookies in this year's 500. The ROTY honors meant Busch joined Parnelli Jones, Mario Andretti, Rick Mears, Tony Stewart, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, Arie Luyendyk and others as a winner of the prestigious award.

But those drivers all came up through the open-wheel ranks and had raced IndyCars at other tracks. This wasn't just Busch's first Indy 500, it was his first open-wheel race, period. Driving for Andretti Autosport, Busch overcame a hard crash in practice and survived 500 miles to finish sixth.

In the process, he cemented his reputation as one of the world's most talented drivers.

"What an unbelievable experience," Busch said. "It is a dream come true to have an Andretti Autosport car to drive at Indy. I'm sure the car was a top-five car. ... All in all, I'm very pleased. I can't believe the execution of this team. It's a team effort, not just an individual. To be able to post a sixth-place finish was beyond my wildest expectations."

With a fast car underneath him, Busch sensibly drove a conservative race, not putting a wheel wrong all day as he diced with much more experienced IndyCar veterans.

"We settled in and ran laps and tried to pace ourselves," said Busch. "I just tried to feel the car all race long. My throat's real dry because I was smiling the whole time and fresh air was coming in my mouth."

The only bummer from Busch's standpoint is that he was unable to complete the Indy 500-Coca-Cola 600 double because the engine in his No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet failed midway through the NASCAR race.

But after racing for years in the Brickyard 400 NASCAR race, going 500 miles in an open-wheel car gave Busch a whole new appreciation of the Indianapolis experience and Indy fans.

"What I saw here in the month of May was very different than what it is here in July and August," he said. "It's their big backyard party. It's their moment to show the world what Indianapolis means and what this oval has always meant to them. And so the people make this Speedway what it is and it's very special. I'm glad that they were rooting me on. And even when I got back to Charlotte, the crowd was there, 'Hey, our NASCAR boy went up there and did good and we're proud of him.' That was a special feeling."